Womanizer (song)
Encyclopedia
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears
from her sixth studio album, Circus
. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records
as the lead single
of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders
, the song had to be re-recorded after a snippet was leaked onto the web. "Womanizer" is an uptempo electropop song with characteristic sirens and a repetitive hook
. Described by Spears as a girl anthem
, the song's lyrics recall a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is.
"Womanizer" was well-received by contemporary critics, with reviewers complimenting its hook and empowering lyrics, while deeming it as a comeback single for Spears. "Womanizer" was a commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and the United States. It also reached the top ten in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and many European countries. In the United States, "Womanizer" was her first single to reach number-one since "...Baby One More Time
" in 1999. It is also her best-selling digital song in the country, having sold over 3.2 million copies.
The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn
, was created by Spears as a sequel to the music video of "Toxic
". It portrays Spears as a woman who disguises herself in different costumes and follows her boyfriend through his daily activities to expose him in the end. The video also contains interspersed scenes of Spears naked in a steam room, as a response to the attacks she had received over the years about her weight. It received positive reviews and was considered as a return to form for Spears. The video was also nominated for two categories at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
, and went on to win Best Pop Video
.
The song has been covered by a number of artists from different genres, including Lily Allen
, Franz Ferdinand
and Girls Aloud
. Spears performed "Womanizer" on several television shows including The X Factor
and Good Morning America
, as well as award shows such as the 2008 Bambi Awards. She has also performed the song at The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009) and the Femme Fatale Tour
(2011), incorporating police-inspired costumes and imagery. "Womanizer" received a Grammy
nomination in 2010 in the Best Dance Recording
category, but lost to Lady Gaga
's "Poker Face
".
. Spears recorded main vocals with Brendan Dakora at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California
and Bojan "Genius" Dugic at Legacy Studios in New York City
. ProTools engineering was done by John Hanes, assisted by Tim Roberts. On September 19, 2008, a low quality 37 second snippet of the song was posted on the official website of 107.5 The River
, a radio station in Lebanon, Tennessee
. According to Jive Records
, a representative of the label played a rough mix
of the song for people at the station, who recorded it and leaked it on the Internet
. The snippet was later removed from the website. The song was scheduled to premiere on September 23, 2008, but the release was delayed when Spears went into the studio to re-record some vocals. The new recordings were done with Jim Beanz
and Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica. The song was finally mixed by Serban Ghenea
at MixStar Studios in Virginia
. "Womanizer" was officially sent to radio stations on September 26, 2008. A few days later, Spears talked about it during a live interview with New York's Z100
on October 18, 2008, stating, "It's basically saying, 'We know what you're up to.' It's about guys cheating on girls, it's a girl anthem. That's why I like it".
song with dark synths that runs through a dance oriented beat
. It has been compared to previous Spears' songs such as "Toxic
" (2003) and "Ooh Ooh Baby" (2007). It is written in the verse–pre-chorus–chorus form. The track opens with its characteristical siren
s. According to Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times
, Spears "quick-witted" vocals are similar to the style of The Andrews Sisters
. It was also noted by Daily News writer Jim Farber that Spears' delivery has a "tone of petulance". After the bridge
, Spears sings the chorus one more time and the song ends while the beat drops and Spears sings the "you’re a womanizer, baby" hook
. The song is composed in the key of C#minor with 139 beats per minute. The chord progression in the song is C#m-F#m-E-Eb-D.
Lyrically, the song refers to a womanizing man. It has been suggested that the lyrics address Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline
.
gave the song the maximum five star
s referring to it as a "comeback single" and as having a "genius hook
". He added that the song "[has] been called lazy, largely by misinformed people who also think that Kylie
's 'la la la's
would have been better with proper words". Popjustice
compared it to "Some Girls
" by Rachel Stevens
and added "[The] track lays a really strong foundation for the fully-realised comeback that didn't quite happen last time and it's hard not to think of it as a late contender for single of the year. [...] It's literally quite good". Myrddin Gwynedd of The New Zealand Herald
said "it's got hit
written all over it". On the week of November 24, 2008, the Derby Telegraph chose it as single of the week. In the album review, Nekesa Mumbi Moody of The Providence Journal
said that along with "Shattered Glass", they were "[two] fun disco tracks".
USA Today
writer Steve Jones named it one of the standout tracks of the album and commented that "she seems most at ease when she's playing the teasing tart". Talia Kraines of the BBC
commented that Spears needed more songs like "Womanizer", saying "Britney 2.0 needs to be full of wild dancefloor driven moves". Simon Price of The Independent
commented the song borrows its electronic sound
from Goldfrapp
. Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times
complimented Spears' delivery and the lyrics, saying the song is "about the kind of girl power
that's focused on besting one obnoxious man, is also vintage and contemporary at the same time – more feminism
as individualism
". Mike Newmark of PopMatters
called the song " a meaty, high-voltage shuffler helmed by the Outsyders, who do an admirable job of recreating the chemistry of Spears and Danja on last year’s single 'Gimme More
'".
Bill Lamb of About.com
thought that Spears was confident, but the song sounded "like a rather weak attempt to approach the attitude of Katy Perry
in a classic Britney futuristic bubblegum pop context". He would later name "Womanizer" the third most annoying pop song of 2008. Jim Farber of the Daily News said the pre-chorus was the most repetitive in a pop song since The Shaggs
's "Gimmie Dat Ding". Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel
called it "basically an adult update of her teen-pop tease act". Ian Watson of Dotmusic
wrote that Spears sounded "trapped on this single. Not trapped, as in desperate and distraught, but trapped as in literally frozen – like she's been placed into a robot on a production line and she has to sing these words, dance these steps, work it like this, until the spotlight snaps off and the factory's powered down for the night". The song has been nominated for a Grammy Award
in the category of Best Dance Recording
on December 2, 2009. Spears had previously won the category in the 2005 ceremony for her single "Toxic". However, it lost to Lady Gaga
's "Poker Face
".
at number ninety-six on the issue dated October 8, 2008. The following week, the song jumped to number one breaking the records for largest jump to number one and largest jump to any position in the history of the chart, previously held by T.I.
's "Live Your Life
" and Beyoncé and Shakira
's "Beautiful Liar
", respectively. The record was later broken by Kelly Clarkson
's "My Life Would Suck Without You
". It also garnered first-week download
sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan
began tracking digital downloads in 2003, surpassing the record previously held by Mariah Carey
's "Touch My Body
". The record was broken on January 27, 2010 by Taylor Swift
's "Today Was a Fairytale
". "Womanizer" was Spears' first number one single since her debut "...Baby One More Time
" in 1999. On the week of January 3, 2009, the song reached number one on the Billboard Pop Songs and number six on Radio Songs. As of July 2009, "Womanizer" was listed at number thirty-nine in the best selling digital songs of all time, with sales over 2,777,600. "Womanizer" has sold 3.1 million paid downloads, and is Spears's best selling digital single in the United States.
In Canada, the single topped the Canadian Hot 100
on October 18, 2008, and stayed in the position for five consecutive weeks. "Womanizer" entered the Australian charts on October 13, 2008 at number sixteen. Three weeks later, it peaked at number five. It shipped over 70,000 copies, earning a platinum
certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA). In New Zealand, the song peaked at number nine on October 27, 2008. The song was certified gold according to the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), selling over 7,500 copies. The track debuted at number four in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2008 and reached its peak position of number three four weeks later. On January 16, 2009, it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI), with sales over 200,000 copies. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 400,000 copies there. "Womanizer" reached the peak in a number of European countries, including Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden. It also reached the top ten in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. In addition, the track became Spears' sixth European number-one single.
, directed by Joseph Kahn
, who previously worked with Spears for the music videos of "Stronger" and "Toxic". According to Kahn, Spears pitched him her original concept, which included all the main elements used in the final version. Spears thought of the video as a sequel to "Toxic", as seen in her documentary Britney: For the Record
, whereas Kahn approached it as "a 2008 answer" to the previous clip. He added that, "'Toxic' was a crystallization of her career at that time, [...] There are elements and moments of that I felt could [have been] improved. ['Womanizer'] is a bit more fashion
-forward". About how the concept of the video related to their previous work, Kahn commented that "It's just a great girl fantasy. There are things she's really good at, like having a really natural knack for knowing what girls want. [...] It's a much more mature sound and much more mature lyrics, and she always has the greatest ideas. She's hyper-aware of pop culture". The costumes and looks for each of the different women were chosen by Spears and Kahn. The scenes in the sauna
were suggested by Kahn, as a response to the attacks Spears received over the years about her weight. He stated, "I knew that the whole world would be watching, so I wanted something in there that stated, 'This is Britney, this is why you should respect her'". The set was cleared for two hours, leaving her and Kahn alone shooting the sequence. Kahn also decided to end the video with an image of Spears smiling, because "We just needed to tell everybody she's OK". A censored version of the music video premiered on October 10, 2008 on ABC
's 20/20 at the end of their show. The uncensored version premiered on MTV
the same night.
and a pencil skirt
. She starts dancing in front of him and sings the chorus. She makes him follow her into the photocopier, where she photocopies her buttocks. On the back, we see an awkward-looking man, the same who appears in the plane scene on "Toxic". Then, Spears is disguised as a redhaired waitress in a restaurant. She dances around him with her dancers and plays with him over the kitchen counter. After this, her boyfriend is seen getting driven home by Spears, disguised as chauffeur
. She starts to kiss him, driving the car with her heel until both get home. Once they get into the bedroom, Spears reveals that she was the three women he was "womanizing" all along. She then begins attacking her boyfriend. This is shown through Spears as her three alter egos, and then as the real version of herself. Spears throws a blanket over him and making the bed. The video ends with Spears smiling, and a repeat of the opening caption.
said the video "looks promising. [...] The dancing is stiff and minimal, a disappointment since her moves are her strong suit. But this is a welcome return to the Britney we love — gorgeous, gyrating, greased up, and gamely playing the vamp". OK!
commented that "in addition to seeing Brit in three different sexy getups, the video [...] features an oiled-up Britney writhing around in nothing but a smile". Rolling Stone
said the video was "a cross between 'Toxic' and The Office
" and added, "she’s dancing [and] looking like the old Britney". Courtney Hazlett of msnbc.com
claimed "When Spears isn’t shown naked and writhing in a steam room, she’s fired up". TV Guide
writer Adam Bryant said that "the music video features some of the most strategically placed hands in music-video history [...] [The] video is quite a return to form for the troubled pop star". The music video for "Womanizer" became a worldwide success right after it premiered on the Internet, gaining seven million viewers in less than 48 hours. The music video was listed as the best video of 2008 in polls by MTV and Fuse TV
. It won Music Video of the Year at the 2009 NRJ Music Awards
. The video was also nominated for Best Pop Video
and Video of the Year
at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
. It lost the latter category to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies
", but won Best Pop Video.
wore during the first act of her Sticky & Sweet Tour
(2008-09). Spears was also presented with an award for Best International Popstar by Karl Lagerfeld
, who said, "I admire you ... not just for your art, but for your energy. [You are] coming back not only as a phoenix but as a bird of paradise". The following night, Spears performed the song at Star Academy
, with similar choreography and dance moves but wearing a red strapless dress. On November 30, 2008, Spears performed at The X Factor
. The performance was watched by over thirteen million UK citizens, making it the most viewed episode in the show’s history. On December 2, 2008, she performed the song at Good Morning America
along with a performance of "Circus
". On December 15, 2008, she performed at the Japanese music show Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. The following day, she performed at NTV Best Artist 2008 in a black and gold bra, hot pants and a white top hat. She also sported a fake tattoo
ed heart in her cheek.
The song was a major part in The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), as the encore
of the show. After a video interlude of Spears's music videos set to "Break the Ice" ended, Spears appeared wearing a police officer
uniform designed by Dean and Dan Caten
, with black sunglasses, a hat with her trademark logo and sequined handcuffs
. Her female dancers were also dressed as policewomen, while her male dancers were dressed as criminals
. During the performance, she danced and flirted with the male dancers. At the end of the song, she returned to the main stage while her dancers surrounded her and a shower of sparks fell over them. She thanked the audience and bowed to each side of the arena. She left the stage with an instrumental version of "Circus" playing in the background. Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun
praised the performance for being a standout number in the show.
"Womanizer" was also performed at the Femme Fatale Tour
(2011) as the last song of the fourth act. Following "I Wanna Go
", which featured her dancing with members of the audience onstage, Spears performed "Womanizer" while surrounded by her dancers dressed as police officers. Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter
stated that "[the] mid-tempo numbers [...] seemed to stall out quickly, where faster offerings like 'Womanizer,' 'I Wanna Go' and 'Toxic' had the sold out crowd jumping in place and pumping their number twos in the air." Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic
called the back-to-back performances of "I Wanna Go" and "Womanizer" "a triumphant double shot of dance-pop greatness." Keith Caufireld of Billboard said the performance "seemed a bit flat after the crowd-wowing 'I Wanna Go.'"
by many artists from a variety of music genre
s, as well as a great number of amateurs. Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly explained that "the song has been covered by other artists with an enthusiasm only matched in recent times by musicians’ desire to remake Radiohead
’s 'Creep' in their own image". On December 8, 2008, New Zealand singer Ladyhawke performed a cover at BBC Radio 1
's Live Lounge
. The song was covered by American band The All-American Rejects
on the Yahoo! Music
Pepsi Smash
show in December 2008. It was performed in an acoustic version, in which the band members played percussions
with beer bottles. The cover also included an excerpt from The Turtles
's "Happy Together
". British singer Lily Allen
also covered the song, because "simple really, I love Britney and I love the song". Her cover was a stripped down version, that according to Nick Levine of Digital Spy
, "might provoke those who reckon it doesn't have much of a chorus to revise their opinion". Allen also performed the song as the encore during her 2009 tour
. French singer Sliimy
cover was deemed as an "indie
makeover". He would later be the opening act of the second Paris date at The Circus Starring Britney Spears.
On January 13, 2009, English singer Ana Silvera
covered the song during one of her London concerts.
On April 6, 2009, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand
also covered the song at Radio 1's Live Lounge. Lead singer Alex Kapranos claimed "It's been the best song out in the last few months". It was also covered regularly by them during their 2009 American spring tour. The song was performed live by UK girl group Girls Aloud
during their Out of Control Tour
, starting April 24, 2009. Their version was released on their 2009 live album Out of Control: Live from the O2
. "Womanizer" was also covered by Fall Out Boy
, among others. "Weird Al" Yankovic
also covered this song for part of the polka medley off his latest album Alpocalypse
. "Womanizer" became one of Spears's biggest hits and preceded a number of "swing-beat tracks" such as Kristinia DeBarge
's "Goodbye
" and Kaci Battaglia's "Crazy Possessive
", which according to Ben Norman of About.com, "admirably follow the trend of a passionately mad (as in hatter) artist unraveling over a fiercely electronic beat. While the sound wasn't uncommon in the UK in prior years—see: Goldfrapp; Rachel Stevens,— this track was such a landmark in Ms. Spears' career that it was hard to ignore the potential appeal of having other artists create music that would cater to her fans".
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Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
from her sixth studio album, Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders
The Outsyders
The Outsyders The Outsyders The Outsyders (Nikesha Briscoe (K.Briscoe), Dean Beresford (Deaneaux), Ervin Ward (Wiz Kid), Kamran Mian (KAM) and Rapheal Akinyemi (Ro.A), are a production team from Atlanta, Georgia. Their production talents were first featured on "Womanizer," from Britney Spears'...
, the song had to be re-recorded after a snippet was leaked onto the web. "Womanizer" is an uptempo electropop song with characteristic sirens and a repetitive hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
. Described by Spears as a girl anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
, the song's lyrics recall a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is.
"Womanizer" was well-received by contemporary critics, with reviewers complimenting its hook and empowering lyrics, while deeming it as a comeback single for Spears. "Womanizer" was a commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and the United States. It also reached the top ten in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and many European countries. In the United States, "Womanizer" was her first single to reach number-one since "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" in 1999. It is also her best-selling digital song in the country, having sold over 3.2 million copies.
The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
, was created by Spears as a sequel to the music video of "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
". It portrays Spears as a woman who disguises herself in different costumes and follows her boyfriend through his daily activities to expose him in the end. The video also contains interspersed scenes of Spears naked in a steam room, as a response to the attacks she had received over the years about her weight. It received positive reviews and was considered as a return to form for Spears. The video was also nominated for two categories at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
, and went on to win Best Pop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video was first given out in , as MTV began to put several teen pop acts in heavy rotation. Nominations, however, were not just limited to pop acts, as dance, R&B, pop/rock, and, most recently, reggaeton artists have also received Best Pop Video nominations...
.
The song has been covered by a number of artists from different genres, including Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. Spears performed "Womanizer" on several television shows including The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, as well as award shows such as the 2008 Bambi Awards. She has also performed the song at The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009) and the Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
(2011), incorporating police-inspired costumes and imagery. "Womanizer" received a Grammy
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
nomination in 2010 in the Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
category, but lost to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
".
Background
The song was written and co-produced by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of the production team, The OutsydersThe Outsyders
The Outsyders The Outsyders The Outsyders (Nikesha Briscoe (K.Briscoe), Dean Beresford (Deaneaux), Ervin Ward (Wiz Kid), Kamran Mian (KAM) and Rapheal Akinyemi (Ro.A), are a production team from Atlanta, Georgia. Their production talents were first featured on "Womanizer," from Britney Spears'...
. Spears recorded main vocals with Brendan Dakora at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
and Bojan "Genius" Dugic at Legacy Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. ProTools engineering was done by John Hanes, assisted by Tim Roberts. On September 19, 2008, a low quality 37 second snippet of the song was posted on the official website of 107.5 The River
WRVW
WRVW is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 107.5 MHz, licensed to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, but serving the nearby Nashville market. It is currently branded as 107.5 The River, broadcasting a Top 40 format, and has become something of a heritage station for Top-40 music in middle...
, a radio station in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
. According to Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, a representative of the label played a rough mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
of the song for people at the station, who recorded it and leaked it on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The snippet was later removed from the website. The song was scheduled to premiere on September 23, 2008, but the release was delayed when Spears went into the studio to re-record some vocals. The new recordings were done with Jim Beanz
Jim Beanz
James David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
and Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica. The song was finally mixed by Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
at MixStar Studios in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. "Womanizer" was officially sent to radio stations on September 26, 2008. A few days later, Spears talked about it during a live interview with New York's Z100
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
on October 18, 2008, stating, "It's basically saying, 'We know what you're up to.' It's about guys cheating on girls, it's a girl anthem. That's why I like it".
Composition
"Womanizer" is an uptempo electropop and dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song with dark synths that runs through a dance oriented beat
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. It has been compared to previous Spears' songs such as "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" (2003) and "Ooh Ooh Baby" (2007). It is written in the verse–pre-chorus–chorus form. The track opens with its characteristical siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
s. According to Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Spears "quick-witted" vocals are similar to the style of The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
. It was also noted by Daily News writer Jim Farber that Spears' delivery has a "tone of petulance". After the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, Spears sings the chorus one more time and the song ends while the beat drops and Spears sings the "you’re a womanizer, baby" hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
. The song is composed in the key of C#minor with 139 beats per minute. The chord progression in the song is C#m-F#m-E-Eb-D.
Lyrically, the song refers to a womanizing man. It has been suggested that the lyrics address Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline
Kevin Federline
Kevin Earl Federline is an American dancer, rapper, fashion model, and actor. Previously engaged to actress Shar Jackson, Federline is best known for his two-year marriage to pop singer Britney Spears...
.
Critical reception
Peter Robinson of The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
gave the song the maximum five star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
s referring to it as a "comeback single" and as having a "genius hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
". He added that the song "[has] been called lazy, largely by misinformed people who also think that Kylie
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's 'la la la's
Can't Get You out of My Head
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
would have been better with proper words". Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
compared it to "Some Girls
Some Girls (Rachel Stevens song)
"Some Girls" is a synthpop song written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson for British singer Rachel Stevens. It is included in the 2004 re-release of Stevens' debut album Funky Dory and her second studio album Come and Get It...
" by Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
and added "[The] track lays a really strong foundation for the fully-realised comeback that didn't quite happen last time and it's hard not to think of it as a late contender for single of the year. [...] It's literally quite good". Myrddin Gwynedd of The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
said "it's got hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
written all over it". On the week of November 24, 2008, the Derby Telegraph chose it as single of the week. In the album review, Nekesa Mumbi Moody of The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
said that along with "Shattered Glass", they were "[two] fun disco tracks".
USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
writer Steve Jones named it one of the standout tracks of the album and commented that "she seems most at ease when she's playing the teasing tart". Talia Kraines of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commented that Spears needed more songs like "Womanizer", saying "Britney 2.0 needs to be full of wild dancefloor driven moves". Simon Price of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
commented the song borrows its electronic sound
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
from Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
. Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
complimented Spears' delivery and the lyrics, saying the song is "about the kind of girl power
Girl Power
The phrase "girl power", as a term of empowerment, expressed a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s. It is also linked to third-wave feminism...
that's focused on besting one obnoxious man, is also vintage and contemporary at the same time – more feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
as individualism
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
". Mike Newmark of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the song " a meaty, high-voltage shuffler helmed by the Outsyders, who do an admirable job of recreating the chemistry of Spears and Danja on last year’s single 'Gimme More
Gimme More
"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson...
'".
Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
thought that Spears was confident, but the song sounded "like a rather weak attempt to approach the attitude of Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
in a classic Britney futuristic bubblegum pop context". He would later name "Womanizer" the third most annoying pop song of 2008. Jim Farber of the Daily News said the pre-chorus was the most repetitive in a pop song since The Shaggs
The Shaggs
The Shaggs were an American all-female rock group formed in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1968. The band was composed of sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin , Betty Wiggin , Helen Wiggin , and later Rachel Wiggin ....
's "Gimmie Dat Ding". Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
called it "basically an adult update of her teen-pop tease act". Ian Watson of Dotmusic
Dotmusic
Dotmusic was a music website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine Music Week, the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a website for music fans.In addition to music news, reviews,...
wrote that Spears sounded "trapped on this single. Not trapped, as in desperate and distraught, but trapped as in literally frozen – like she's been placed into a robot on a production line and she has to sing these words, dance these steps, work it like this, until the spotlight snaps off and the factory's powered down for the night". The song has been nominated for a Grammy Award
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
in the category of Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
on December 2, 2009. Spears had previously won the category in the 2005 ceremony for her single "Toxic". However, it lost to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
".
Chart performance
In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number ninety-six on the issue dated October 8, 2008. The following week, the song jumped to number one breaking the records for largest jump to number one and largest jump to any position in the history of the chart, previously held by T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
's "Live Your Life
Live Your Life
"Live Your Life" is a song by American rapper T.I., and the third single, from his sixth studio album Paper Trail. It was released as the third single from the album on September 23, 2008. The song features Barbadian pop singer Rihanna, and was produced by Just Blaze and Canei Finch. It officially...
" and Beyoncé and Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
's "Beautiful Liar
Beautiful Liar
"Beautiful Liar" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé and Colombian Latin pop singer Shakira. The song was written by Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Knowles for the re-release of Knowles'...
", respectively. The record was later broken by Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's "My Life Would Suck Without You
My Life Would Suck Without You
"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song performed by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. It is the first single from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. Dr. Luke and Max Martin, writers of her hit "Since U Been Gone", co-produced and co-wrote the song. Claude Kelly also...
". It also garnered first-week download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
began tracking digital downloads in 2003, surpassing the record previously held by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's "Touch My Body
Touch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
". The record was broken on January 27, 2010 by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's "Today Was a Fairytale
Today Was a Fairytale
"Today Was a Fairytale" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's help. It was released on January 19, 2010 by Big Machine Records as a single from the corresponding soundtrack for the 2010 film...
". "Womanizer" was Spears' first number one single since her debut "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" in 1999. On the week of January 3, 2009, the song reached number one on the Billboard Pop Songs and number six on Radio Songs. As of July 2009, "Womanizer" was listed at number thirty-nine in the best selling digital songs of all time, with sales over 2,777,600. "Womanizer" has sold 3.1 million paid downloads, and is Spears's best selling digital single in the United States.
In Canada, the single topped the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
on October 18, 2008, and stayed in the position for five consecutive weeks. "Womanizer" entered the Australian charts on October 13, 2008 at number sixteen. Three weeks later, it peaked at number five. It shipped over 70,000 copies, earning a platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA). In New Zealand, the song peaked at number nine on October 27, 2008. The song was certified gold according to the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ), selling over 7,500 copies. The track debuted at number four in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2008 and reached its peak position of number three four weeks later. On January 16, 2009, it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI), with sales over 200,000 copies. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 400,000 copies there. "Womanizer" reached the peak in a number of European countries, including Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden. It also reached the top ten in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. In addition, the track became Spears' sixth European number-one single.
Development
The music video was filmed on September 24 and September 25, 2008 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
, who previously worked with Spears for the music videos of "Stronger" and "Toxic". According to Kahn, Spears pitched him her original concept, which included all the main elements used in the final version. Spears thought of the video as a sequel to "Toxic", as seen in her documentary Britney: For the Record
Britney: For the Record
Britney: For the Record is a 2008 documentary of American recording artist and entertainer Britney Spears. The 60-minute introspective documentary chronicles Spears' return to the recording industry after her much-publicized professional and personal struggles...
, whereas Kahn approached it as "a 2008 answer" to the previous clip. He added that, "'Toxic' was a crystallization of her career at that time, [...] There are elements and moments of that I felt could [have been] improved. ['Womanizer'] is a bit more fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
-forward". About how the concept of the video related to their previous work, Kahn commented that "It's just a great girl fantasy. There are things she's really good at, like having a really natural knack for knowing what girls want. [...] It's a much more mature sound and much more mature lyrics, and she always has the greatest ideas. She's hyper-aware of pop culture". The costumes and looks for each of the different women were chosen by Spears and Kahn. The scenes in the sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
were suggested by Kahn, as a response to the attacks Spears received over the years about her weight. He stated, "I knew that the whole world would be watching, so I wanted something in there that stated, 'This is Britney, this is why you should respect her'". The set was cleared for two hours, leaving her and Kahn alone shooting the sequence. Kahn also decided to end the video with an image of Spears smiling, because "We just needed to tell everybody she's OK". A censored version of the music video premiered on October 10, 2008 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's 20/20 at the end of their show. The uncensored version premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
the same night.
Concept
The video begins with an opening caption that reads "Womanizer". During the introduction, Spears is naked and smiling at a sauna, while covering herself with her hands. These scenes are seen throughout the video. When the first verse begins, a blond Spears wearing a slip nightgown is making breakfast for her boyfriend (played by model Brandon Stoughton) as he gets ready for work. When he is at the office, he sees a new secretary, which is actually Spears in disguise wearing horn-rimmed glassesHorn-rimmed glasses
Horn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses. Originally made out of either horn or tortoise shell, for most of their history they have actually been constructed out of thick plastics designed to imitate those materials...
and a pencil skirt
Pencil skirt
A pencil skirt is a slim-fitting skirt with a straight, narrow cut. Generally the hem falls to, or just below, the knee and is tailored for a close fit. It is named for its shape: long and slim like a pencil.-Style:...
. She starts dancing in front of him and sings the chorus. She makes him follow her into the photocopier, where she photocopies her buttocks. On the back, we see an awkward-looking man, the same who appears in the plane scene on "Toxic". Then, Spears is disguised as a redhaired waitress in a restaurant. She dances around him with her dancers and plays with him over the kitchen counter. After this, her boyfriend is seen getting driven home by Spears, disguised as chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
. She starts to kiss him, driving the car with her heel until both get home. Once they get into the bedroom, Spears reveals that she was the three women he was "womanizing" all along. She then begins attacking her boyfriend. This is shown through Spears as her three alter egos, and then as the real version of herself. Spears throws a blanket over him and making the bed. The video ends with Spears smiling, and a repeat of the opening caption.
Reception
Bill Lamb of About.com called it "arguably the best music video of Britney's career". Margeaux Watson of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said the video "looks promising. [...] The dancing is stiff and minimal, a disappointment since her moves are her strong suit. But this is a welcome return to the Britney we love — gorgeous, gyrating, greased up, and gamely playing the vamp". OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
commented that "in addition to seeing Brit in three different sexy getups, the video [...] features an oiled-up Britney writhing around in nothing but a smile". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said the video was "a cross between 'Toxic' and The Office
The Office
The Office is a popular mockumentary/situation comedy TV show that was first made in the UK and has now been re-made in many other countries, with overall viewership in the hundreds of millions worldwide. The original version of The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It...
" and added, "she’s dancing [and] looking like the old Britney". Courtney Hazlett of msnbc.com
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
claimed "When Spears isn’t shown naked and writhing in a steam room, she’s fired up". TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
writer Adam Bryant said that "the music video features some of the most strategically placed hands in music-video history [...] [The] video is quite a return to form for the troubled pop star". The music video for "Womanizer" became a worldwide success right after it premiered on the Internet, gaining seven million viewers in less than 48 hours. The music video was listed as the best video of 2008 in polls by MTV and Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
. It won Music Video of the Year at the 2009 NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
. The video was also nominated for Best Pop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video was first given out in , as MTV began to put several teen pop acts in heavy rotation. Nominations, however, were not just limited to pop acts, as dance, R&B, pop/rock, and, most recently, reggaeton artists have also received Best Pop Video nominations...
and Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...
at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
. It lost the latter category to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
", but won Best Pop Video.
Live performances
The song was performed for the first time at the Bambi Awards in Germany, on November 27, 2008. For the performance Spears wore hot pants, fishnet stockings and a black top hat. The ensemble was compared to the costume MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
wore during the first act of her Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
(2008-09). Spears was also presented with an award for Best International Popstar by Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
, who said, "I admire you ... not just for your art, but for your energy. [You are] coming back not only as a phoenix but as a bird of paradise". The following night, Spears performed the song at Star Academy
Star Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
, with similar choreography and dance moves but wearing a red strapless dress. On November 30, 2008, Spears performed at The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. The performance was watched by over thirteen million UK citizens, making it the most viewed episode in the show’s history. On December 2, 2008, she performed the song at Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
along with a performance of "Circus
Circus (song)
"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
". On December 15, 2008, she performed at the Japanese music show Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. The following day, she performed at NTV Best Artist 2008 in a black and gold bra, hot pants and a white top hat. She also sported a fake tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ed heart in her cheek.
The song was a major part in The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), as the encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
of the show. After a video interlude of Spears's music videos set to "Break the Ice" ended, Spears appeared wearing a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
uniform designed by Dean and Dan Caten
Dean and Dan Caten
Dean and Dan Caten are identical twin brother fashion designers and the creators of DSquared2, a high-end fashion label.-Early life and career:...
, with black sunglasses, a hat with her trademark logo and sequined handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
. Her female dancers were also dressed as policewomen, while her male dancers were dressed as criminals
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. During the performance, she danced and flirted with the male dancers. At the end of the song, she returned to the main stage while her dancers surrounded her and a shower of sparks fell over them. She thanked the audience and bowed to each side of the arena. She left the stage with an instrumental version of "Circus" playing in the background. Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
praised the performance for being a standout number in the show.
"Womanizer" was also performed at the Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
(2011) as the last song of the fourth act. Following "I Wanna Go
I Wanna Go
"I Wanna Go" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the third single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted a snippet of the track in February...
", which featured her dancing with members of the audience onstage, Spears performed "Womanizer" while surrounded by her dancers dressed as police officers. Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
stated that "[the] mid-tempo numbers [...] seemed to stall out quickly, where faster offerings like 'Womanizer,' 'I Wanna Go' and 'Toxic' had the sold out crowd jumping in place and pumping their number twos in the air." Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
called the back-to-back performances of "I Wanna Go" and "Womanizer" "a triumphant double shot of dance-pop greatness." Keith Caufireld of Billboard said the performance "seemed a bit flat after the crowd-wowing 'I Wanna Go.'"
Cover versions and influence
"Womanizer" has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by many artists from a variety of music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
s, as well as a great number of amateurs. Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly explained that "the song has been covered by other artists with an enthusiasm only matched in recent times by musicians’ desire to remake Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
’s 'Creep' in their own image". On December 8, 2008, New Zealand singer Ladyhawke performed a cover at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
. The song was covered by American band The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....
on the Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
Pepsi Smash
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
show in December 2008. It was performed in an acoustic version, in which the band members played percussions
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
with beer bottles. The cover also included an excerpt from The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
's "Happy Together
Happy Together (song)
"Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in...
". British singer Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
also covered the song, because "simple really, I love Britney and I love the song". Her cover was a stripped down version, that according to Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, "might provoke those who reckon it doesn't have much of a chorus to revise their opinion". Allen also performed the song as the encore during her 2009 tour
Lily Allen concert tour (2009)
The It's Not Me, It's You World Tour is the second concert tour by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen in support her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You...
. French singer Sliimy
Sliimy
Sliimy is a French pop musician of Moroccan-Algerian descent who in 2009 released the album Paint Your Face, which reached number 2 in the French charts.-Discography:Paint Your Face track listing:...
cover was deemed as an "indie
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
makeover". He would later be the opening act of the second Paris date at The Circus Starring Britney Spears.
On January 13, 2009, English singer Ana Silvera
Ana Silvera
Ana Silvera is a contemporary alternative London born singer-songwriter, known for the intense poeticism of her lyrics, her classical piano style and her work with choirs....
covered the song during one of her London concerts.
On April 6, 2009, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
also covered the song at Radio 1's Live Lounge. Lead singer Alex Kapranos claimed "It's been the best song out in the last few months". It was also covered regularly by them during their 2009 American spring tour. The song was performed live by UK girl group Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
during their Out of Control Tour
Out of Control Tour
The Out of Control Tour is Girls Aloud's fourth arena-based concert tour and their fifth tour overall. The tour started on 24 April 2009 in Manchester's MEN Arena, with the final show on 6 June 2009 in Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena...
, starting April 24, 2009. Their version was released on their 2009 live album Out of Control: Live from the O2
Out of Control: Live from the O2
Out Of Control: Live From The O2 is a Live album by British pop group Girls Aloud. The CD is part of the Out Of Control Live from The O2 2009 DVD limited fan edition set, only available on Girls Aloud's official website. The CD was recorded on May 24, 2009 at The O2 Arena in London while the group...
. "Womanizer" was also covered by Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
, among others. "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
also covered this song for part of the polka medley off his latest album Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and...
. "Womanizer" became one of Spears's biggest hits and preceded a number of "swing-beat tracks" such as Kristinia DeBarge
Kristinia DeBarge
Kristinia DeBarge is an American singer-songwriter. She first appeared on national television in 2003 as a contestant on the American Idol spin-off, American Juniors. In 2009, DeBarge signed a contract with the Island Records department Sodapop, releasing her debut album Exposed in July of the...
's "Goodbye
Goodbye (Kristinia DeBarge song)
"Goodbye" is the debut single from American recording artist Kristinia DeBarge from her debut studio album Exposed. It was released digitally in the United States on April 7, 2009, to U.S. radio on April 28, 2009, and in the UK on August 10, 2009. The song contains a sample of Steam's "Na Na Hey...
" and Kaci Battaglia's "Crazy Possessive
Crazy Possessive
"Crazy Possessive", also known as "Crazy Possessive " or "Crazy Possessive ", is the first single off Kaci Battaglia's second studio album, Bring It On .-Release:...
", which according to Ben Norman of About.com, "admirably follow the trend of a passionately mad (as in hatter) artist unraveling over a fiercely electronic beat. While the sound wasn't uncommon in the UK in prior years—see: Goldfrapp; Rachel Stevens,— this track was such a landmark in Ms. Spears' career that it was hard to ignore the potential appeal of having other artists create music that would cater to her fans".
Track listings
- Digital download
- "Womanizer" — 3:43
- CD Single 1 (Australian CD A/European CD)
- "Womanizer" — 3:43
- "Womanizer" (Instrumental) — 3:43
- CD Single 2 (Australian CD B/European Maxi CD/Korean CD)
- "Womanizer" — 3:43
- "Womanizer" (KaskadeKaskadeRyan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
Remix) — 5:31 - "Womanizer" (JuniorJunior VasquezJunior Vasquez, , is an American club DJ and remixer/producer.-Career:...
's Electro Tribal Remix) — 8:47 - "Womanizer" (Instrumental) — 3:43
- "Womanizer" (Video)
- Digital EP — The Remixes
- "Womanizer" (KaskadeKaskadeRyan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
Remix) — 5:31 - "Womanizer" (Benny BenassiBenny BenassiMarco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
Extended Mix) — 6:16 - "Womanizer" (Junior's Tribal Electro Remix) — 8:47
- "Womanizer" (Jason Nevins Club Remix) — 7:31
- "Womanizer" (Tonal Extended Mix) — 5:29
- CD Remixes promo
- "Womanizer" (Junior's Tribal Electro Remix) — 8:47
- "Womanizer" (Kaskade Remix) — 5:31
- "Womanizer" (DigitalDigitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
Dog Club) — 6:26 - "Womanizer" (Digital Dog Dub) — 6:09
- "Womanizer" (Digital Dog Radio) — 3:15
- "Womanizer" (Sodaboys Remix) — 3:57
- "Womanizer" (Main Version) — 3:43
- The Singles Collection Boxset Single
- "Womanizer" — 3:43
- "Womanizer" (Kaskade Remix) — 5:31
Credits and personnel
- WritersLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
: Nikesha Briscoe, Rafael Akinyemi - ProducersRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
: K.Briscoe/The OutsydersThe OutsydersThe Outsyders The Outsyders The Outsyders (Nikesha Briscoe (K.Briscoe), Dean Beresford (Deaneaux), Ervin Ward (Wiz Kid), Kamran Mian (KAM) and Rapheal Akinyemi (Ro.A), are a production team from Atlanta, Georgia. Their production talents were first featured on "Womanizer," from Britney Spears'... - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
: Serban Ghenea - Protools editing: John Hanes
- MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
: Tom Coyne
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Belgium | Gold |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Finland | Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| Sweden | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
Gold |
End of year charts
| Charts (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 40 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 35 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
33 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
80 |
| Charts (2009) | Position |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
33 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
21 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
36 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 7 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
100 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
22 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 57 |
| UK Singles Chart | 118 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
39 |
Chart procession and succession
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